Under the aegis of the Research Division of the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Michiel Schuijer and Jed Wentz edited this volume with articles by scholars of music and dance working in The Netherlands, Britain, and The United States.

The volume addresses the mysterious popularity of music and dance, particularly French dance (la belle danse), in the Calvinist Netherlands – at a time, moreover, when France posed a serious threat to the Republic.
The articles have their origin in the symposium 'The Dutchman and the Honeybees' (February 2009). This symposium was held at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, to underline why knowledge of historical dance practices is relevant for an early music curriculum.